University of Applied Sciences Kehl

Abstract The chapter examines how the local government associations (LGAs) carry their interests into the policy-making process of the German Federation. It is shown that the organization and the work of LGAs is strongly influenced by the federal character of Germany. Formally, the local level is part of the Länder and their administrations, and the character, rights and structure of the local municipalities and counties is dependent on the rules of the respective Land . At the same time, the local level has the right of local self-government and assumes important tasks for the overall system. Local interests are formally and informally represented by the LGAs at Länder and federal level. Competition between the LGAs is less due to the urban-rural divide and more due overlapping membership structures (for reasons of history and also German federalism), party-politics and questions of prestige. The cooperative character of the German political system plays a key role in overcoming the different interests. With a few exceptions, the local government associations are organized under private law, and the chapter discusses whether a more formal organization would be more in line with the character of self-governing bodies of the municipalities and counties.

ABSTRACT There is an obvious general trend towards decentralisation in West Africa. This leads to changes in administrative structure. In this article, we develop and elaborate on a point that is often overlooked in decentralisation reform, namely local government capacity. We present empirical evidence from local governments in three francophone West African countries: Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. For local administrations to effectively deliver services, a sufficiently qualified staff is needed. Our argument is that staffing in general and a well-qualified staff capacity in particular are missing in most of the local governments studied. At the same time, the vocational training systems for the local civil service are structurally weak. The ongoing effort to close the capacity gap shows at once the concurrent need for and the typical limitations of externally planned development projects.

Immanuel Kant, geboren am 22. April 1724, hat heute seinen 300. Geburtstag. Und das Grundgesetz wird nächsten Monat 75 Jahre alt. Was bedeuten diese beiden Senioren füreinander? Was hat Kants Philosophie mit dem Grundgesetz zu tun?

ABSTRACT When regulating hate speech and disinformation online, first, do not suppress ideas or viewpoints as such, second, protect speech and other fundamental rights as positive freedoms, not only vertically but horizontally too, and, third, counteract private disinformation as well as government disinformation.

BackgroundA new formulation of the live-attenuated varicella vaccine Varilrix (GSK) produced without human serum albumin (HSA) was developed to minimize a theoretical risk of transmission of infectious diseases. A previous study showed that the vaccine was immunologically non-inferior to the HSA-containing vaccine and well-tolerated in toddlers; low-grade fever was numerically higher in children receiving the vaccine without HSA, but the study lacked power to conclude on this difference.MethodsIn this phase III, double-blind, multi-center study, healthy 12–23-month-olds were randomized (1:1) to receive two doses of the varicella vaccine without (Var-HSA group) or with HSA (Var + HSA group) at days 0 and 42. The primary objective compared safety of the vaccines in terms of incidence of fever > 39.0 °C in the 15-day period post-first vaccination. The objective was considered met if the upper limit of the 95% confidence interval for the between-group difference in the incidence of fever > 39.0 °C was ≤5% (Var-HSA group minus Var + HSA group). Safety, reactogenicity and immune responses were evaluated.ResultsSix hundred fifteen children in the Var-HSA group and 616 in the Var + HSA group received ≥1 vaccination. Fever > 39.0 °C was reported in 3.9 and 5.2% of participants in the Var-HSA and Var + HSA groups, with a between-group difference of − 1.29 (95% confidence interval: − 3.72–1.08); therefore, the primary objective was achieved. Fever rates post-each dose and the incidence of solicited local and general adverse events (AEs) were comparable between groups. Unsolicited AEs were reported for 43.9 and 36.5% of children in the Var-HSA group and 45.8 and 36.0% of children in the Var + HSA group, during 43 days post-dose 1 and 2, respectively. Serious AEs occurred in 2.1% (group Var-HSA) and 2.4% (group Var + HSA) of children, throughout the study. In a sub-cohort of 364 children, all had anti-varicella-zoster virus antibody concentrations ≥50 mIU/mL post-dose 2; comparable geometric mean concentrations were observed between the groups.ConclusionsThe varicella vaccine formulated without HSA did not induce higher rates of fever during the 15 day-post-vaccination period, as compared with the original HSA-containing vaccine. The two vaccines displayed similar safety and immunogenicity profiles in toddlers.Trial registrationNCT02570126, registered on 5 October 2015 (www.clinicaltrials.gov).